Apparatus for automatically attaching a carton to a display card

ABSTRACT

CARTONS, SUCH AS RECTANGULAR TOOTHPASTE CARTONS, ARE AUTOMATICALLY LOCATED AND SCURED ACCURATELY IN POSITION UPON DISPLAY CARDS. THE CARTONS AND CARDS ARE LATERALLY FED INTO SEPARATE SLIDE GUIDES IN THE APPARATUS AT DIFFERENT LEVELS, WITH THE CARTON AT THE HIGHER LEVEL, AND ASSOCIATED CARDS AND CARTONS ARE ADVANCED LONGITUDINALLY TOGETHER IN LATERAL REGISTRY ALONG THE GUIDES IN CORRECT RELATIVE LOCATION FOR ASSEMBLY, BY MOVING CONVEYOR FINGER MEANS. ONE SIDE OF THE CARTON AND ONE SIDE OF THE CARD SIDES OF THE GUIDES THAT LIE IN A COMMON VERTICAL PLANE. THE UPPER SURFACE OF EACH CARD IS ADHESIVE COATED AS IT MOVES ALONG THE LOWER GUIDE. THE UPPER GUIDE DESCENDS TO DEPOSIT ACH MOVING CARTON IN TURN UPON THE UPPER ADHESIVE COATED SURFACE OF THE MOVING CARD BENEATH IT, AND THEN AS THE ASSEMBLY MOVES ALONG THE LOWER GUIDE A SPRING PRESSES THE CARTON FIRMLY AGAINST THE CARD TO INSURE A GOOD BOND IN THE MOVING ASSEMBLY.

W. G. ROCKEFELLER Feb. 9, 1971 3,562,071 APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY ATTACHING A CARTON TO A DISPLAY CARD Filed May 5, 1968 3 Sheets-Sh et 1 jzvmvm.

W/NSTON G. ROCKEFELLER ATTORNEYS 1971 w. a. ROCKEFELLER 3,562,071

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY ATTACHING A CARTON TO A DISPLAY CARD Filed May 3, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

IN VEN TOR.

WINSTON 6. ROCKEFELLER BY W m FIG. 3a

ATTORNEYS Feb. 9, 1971 w RQCKEFELLER 3,562,071

7 APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY ATTACHING A CARTON TO A DISPLAY CARD Filed May :5, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

WINSTON 6. ROC/(EFELLER Wfied/ 0 ATTORNEYS United States Patent O US. Cl. 156-566 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Cartons, such as rectangular toothpaste cartons, are automatically located and secured accurately in position upon display cards. The cartons and cards are laterally fed into separate slide guides in the apparatus at different levels, with the carton at the higher level, and associated cards and cartons are advanced longitudinally together in lateral registry along the guides in correct relative location for assembly, by moving conveyor finger means. One side of the carton and one side of the card engage sides of the guides that lie in a common vertical plane. The upper surface of each card is adhesive coated as it moves along the lower guide. The upper guide descends to deposit each moving carton in turn upon the upper adhesive coated surface of the moving card beneath it, and then as the assembly moves along the lower guide a spring presses the carton firmly against the card to insure a good bond in the moving assembly.

HISTORY AND SUMMARY OF INVENTION It is known to attach tubular cartons of toothpaste or the like to printed display cards that may or may not also carry premium such as ball point pens enclosed in a plastic bubble. For example an assembly of this general type is disclosed in British Pat. No. 453,260.

However, applicant knows of no automatic apparatus whereby such cartons and cards may be speedily and accurately combined to final assembly, and it is the major object of the invention to provide such apparatus.

In the invention individual cartons and cards are located in desired relative position at different levels and are then brought together in both laterally and longitudinally registered assembly, and this is an important object. It is a further object of the invention to provide novel associated apparatus for accomplishing this, including upper and lower guideways that locate one side of the carton in vertical alignment with one edge of the associated card, means for simultaneously moving each carton and card pair at different levels and bringing them into assembly, and adhesive applicator means, all correlated to act and operate in synchronism.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation showing apparatus for assemblying a carton and card according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end view taken on line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3a is a fragmentary view showing the adhesive attachment of the carton to the card;

FIG. 4 is a section substantially on line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a generally perspective view of the assembled carton and display card; and

FIGS. 6 and 7 are views like FIGS. 3 and 4 but showing further embodiments incorporating different carton and card moving fingers and different adhesive applying means.

Patented Feb. 9, 1971 ice PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 5 shows a completed assembly comprising carton 11, which for example contains a tube of toothpaste, attached by an adhesive joint indicated at 12 to the surface of a cardboard display card 13 carrying a premium 14. The apparatus of the invention facilitates speedy accurate attachment together of such cartons and display cards in continuous operations.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4 a series of cartons 11 are fed in succession into the apparatus. A suitable pusher or like feed means (not shown) may be provided. These cartons are disposed side by side in a row on a horizontal intake feed guide channel 15, and (FIG. 4) they slide along the surface 16 of the channel fioor onto a longitudinally extending carton slide guide 17 defined by the projecting inner end 18 of the channel floor and an angle iron rail 19. Cartons 11 have their long dimensions extending longitudinally of the apparatus parallel to the direction they will move when on slide guide 17. Thus the cartons 11 enter the apparatus laterally at right angles to the direction they are to move along slide guide 17, and the parts are usually so dimensioned that only one carton 11 is advanced at a time onto guide 17.

The apparatus also comprises a card slide guide 21 that extends longitudinally parallel to carton slide guide 17. A magazine 22 contains a vertical stack of cards 13, and these cards are fed laterally into the apparatus one at a time from the stack in magazine 22 onto the slide guide 21 by suitable feed means (not shown). Guide 21 is at a lower level than guide 17, and as shown in FIG. 2, guide KG comprises a pair of parallel angle iron guide rails 23 and 24 that extend rearwardly of the carton feed inlet to provide a card feed inlet station designated at 25.

FIG. 3 shows a card 13 positioned at the card inlet station on guide 21. The card preferably already has the premium 14 attached thereto on the top surface.

The different levels of parallel guides 17 and 21 are shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, and these figures also show the lateral offset of guide 17 to be disposed exactly above the section 26 of the surface of card 13 onto which the carton is to be attached. Guides 17 and 21 are rigidly mounted on uprights 27 and 28 fixed to angles 29 and 31 forming part of a stationary base structure indicated at 32. The inner rail 19 of guide 17 is fixed to a longitudinal support 33 extending along the apparatus and suitably secured to the base, and at intervals the uprights 27 and 28 are joined by straps 34.

As shown in FIG. 1, carton slide guide 17 has an inclined portion 35 descending from the level of the horizontal carton inlet substantially to the level of the card guide 21 for a purpose to appear.

An endless conveyor belt 38 is supported on the base 32 on parallel axis pulleys 39 and 41. Pulley 39 is driven at a suitable speed from an electric motor unit 42. The upper flight 43 of belt 38 (FIG. 4) is horizontal and disposed at the level of card guide 21 and it moves longitudinally of the apparatus. Pulley 41 has an arbor 44 rotatably mounted on a base hanger 45, and pulley 39 is similarly mounted and has a sprocket 46 connected by drive chain 47 to motor unit 42.

Belt 38 has secured thereto finger means in the form of a series of equally longitudinally spaced pairs of rigid fingers 48 and 49 that project vertically upwardly at right angles to the top flight 43 as they move through the apparatus. Finger 48 has a foot 50 riveted to belt 38, and finger 49 has a foot 51 riveted to belt 38. The front surfaces of fingers 48 and 49 are coplanar at right angles to the direction of belt movement. While two separate laterally associated finger members 48 and 49 are shown, it is clear that the finger means could comprise a single finger member having its front face engaging both the card and the carton. An advantage of two separate fingers is that under some circumstances each card and its asso ciated carton could be fed with a desired longitudinal spacing factor. Finger 48 extends up through guide 21 to abut the rear end of a card 13 deposited on guide 21, and finger 49 extends up through guide 17 to abut the rear end of a carton 11 deposited on guide 17.

The invention includes correlated means for applying a liquid adhesive to card surface 26 so that when a carton 11 descending from upper guide 17 is deposited onto the card 13, as will appear, the carton will lie on the sticky surface there. As shown in FIG. 4, a pair of adhesive discharge nozzles 53 and 54 are disposed to spray a layer of liquid adhesive onto the surface 26 of the moving card. Preferably, as shown in FIG. 3a these nozzles lay down strips 55 and 56 of adhesive to underlie the opposite longitudinal edges regions of the bottom of the carton 11 where it is most effective to secure the card and carton together when a downward push is executed on the carton.

In operation, belt 38 is continuously driven and upright fingers 48 and 49 are moved through the apparatus. As each pair of fingers 48 and 49 enters the upright phase, which is at the right hand end of the horizontal belt flight in FIG. 1, finger 48 abuts the end of a card 13 and starts moving horizontally to the left. When associated finger 49 reaches guide 17 it abuts the end of a carton 11, and now the card 13 and the carton 11 directly above are moved at the same time by the associated pair of fingers. As the card passes nozzles 53 and 54 it receives wet adhesive on surface 26.

The card and carton moved by the fingers continue together and at the inclined guide section 35 the carton descends to become deposited upon the adhesive coated top surface 26 of the card. As the carton descends the card guide 17 ends at inclined section 35 and the outer side of the carton is guided by the upright arm of lower guide rail 23. There is no substantial relative movement between the carton and its underlying card as the two are brought together, the lower front corner of the carton first contacting the card near its leading edge and the carton gradually settling down onto the adhesive coated surface. FIGS. 1 and 2 show this mode of assembly with the changing carton positions indicated at 11 11 and 11 Now the combined card and carton assembly enters a fixing station indicated at 61 where a depending spring finger 62 mounted on a bracket 63 attached to a strap 34 slidably engages and exerts a firm downward pressure on the moving carton that spreads the adhesive and insures a proper adhesive bond between the carton and card.

Beyond station 61, the now complete assembly may move through a final adhesive drying device, or directly if the adhesive is quick drying, to a packing station.

Forwardly of guide surface 18 (to the left in FIG. 1), that side of guide 17 continues as an angle iron rail similar to rail 19. It will be noted that the upright arms of rails 20 and 23 lie in the same vertical plane, so that the outer side of carton 11 and the outer side edge of associated card 13 are accurately vertically aligned for assembly in that relation.

Preferably, as the cartons 11 are moved along guideway 17 they are biased laterally as by a series of springs 65 distributed longitudinally along the upright arm of rail 19 so that they slide along the vertical plane of the inner surface 66 of rail 20. Similarly as cards 13 move along guideway 21 they are laterally biased as by a series of springs 67 distributed longitudinally along the upright arm of rail 24 so that they slide along the vertical plane 68 of rail 23. Since these surfaces 66 and 68 are in the same plane, this lateral bias of the carton and card provides for their very accurate registration when they are brought together at the carton position 11;, shown in FIG. 1. If desired a single upright panel may provide a common vertical planar surface against which the carton and card are biased at different levels.

By providing a common finger means pick-up for both the card and the carton to be attached thereto, the invention automatically correctly positions both of them for proper assembly and brings them together accurately regardless of small variations in the lateral feeding of each into the apparatus.

In some embodiments provision is made for laterally adjusting rails 19 and 24, as this would enable the apparatus to be adapted to accommodate different sizes of cartons and cards.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show an optional form of the invention wherein only a single upright finger member on the belt moves both the carton and card together, and wherein a different form of adhesive application is provided.

Belt 38' has secured thereto a series of equally spaced fingers 48' that project vertically upwardly at right angles to the top flight 43 as they move through the apparatus. Each finger is preferably made from a single piece of metal and comprises a foot 49 secured to belt 38 as by rivets 51', a centrally disposed card engaging portion 52' and a laterally and upwardly extending carton engaging section 53'. The card engaging section 52' is adapted to extend up through guide 21 to abut the rear end of a card deposited on guide 21, and the carton engaging section 53 is adapted to extend up through guide 17 to abut the rear end of a carton deposited on guide 17.

As belt 38 is continuously driven, upright fingers 48 are moved through the apparatus. As each finger 48 enters its upright phase, the lower portion 52 of the finger abuts the end of a card 13 and starts moving it along guideway 21. The upper portion 53' of the finger enters guide 17 and abuts the end of a carton -11, and now the card 13 and the carton 11 directly above are moved at the same time by the common finger 48'.

The device for applying liquid adhesive to card surface 26 here comprises an adhesive applying roller 54 mounted on a rotatable shaft 55' that is preferably hollow to conduct liquid adhesive into the interior of the roller from a reservoir 56. Roller 54' may be idly mounted and it turns when engaged by surface 26 of the card 13 moving beneath it to deposit a strip of wet adhesive on surface 26.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms Without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for attaching cartons to cards comprising means for positioning a carton and a card to be secured thereto in predetermined relative location at different levels, and means for moving both the carton and card together in a given direction and into assembly at the same level comprising a common feed means having separate positive engagement with both said carton and said card.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein said feed means comprises an endless belt, and upright finger means on said belt engage the ends of a respective carton and card at the different levels.

3. Apparatus for attaching cartons to cards comprising substantially horizontal longitudinal card guide means, longitudinal carton guide means extending parallel to and above said guide means, said guide means being disposed in predetermined relative location laterally thereof so that a carton on said carton guide means will be located in predetermined lateral position relative to a card on said card guide means, means for moving a carton and an associated card therebelow together along said guide means in one direction comprising a drive member continually movable in said direction and having means for positively engaging both the carton and associated card to be assembled together, and means providing an inclined section on at least one of said guide means for bringing the moving card and carton into assembly with the carton upon a predetermined upper surface area of said card.

4. In the apparatus defined in claim 3, means for feeding cards and cartons in separate succession to their respective guide means comprising means for feeding said cartons laterally onto said upper guide means, and means for feeding said cards from a vertical stack onto said lower guide means.

5. In the apparatus defined in claim 3, said means for positively engaging said moving carton and associated card for moving the associated card and carton together comprising upright finger means on said drive member extending into said guide means to abut the corresponding ends of said associated card and carton.

6. In the apparatus defined in claim 5, said drive member being an endless belt having a substantially horizontal top flight below said guide means, and there being a longitudinally spaced series of said finger means on said belt that extend upright from said top flight when moving said associated card and carton.

7. In the apparatus defined in claim 3, means for applying adhesive to said upper surface area of a card moving on said card guide means prior to the time that the carton and card are brought together, so that said carton may be attached securely to said card.

8. In the apparatus defined in claim 7, means for pressing the card and carton toward each other after they have been brought into assembly to improve the adhesive bond therebetween.

9. In the apparatus defined in claim 8, said pressing means comprising a spring acting downwardly and bearing slidably on the carton as the assembly moves along the guide means.

10. In the apparatus defined in claim 3, said guide means each having one side disposed substantially in a common vertical plane whereby said carbon is positioned to be assembled adjacent one edge of the associated card.

11. In the apparatus defined in claim 3, means for providing lateral registry of each moving card and carton to be attached together.

12. In the apparatus defined in claim 11, said registry means including separate resilient means independently biasing the card and the carton laterally against common vertical plane guide surface means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,744,562 5/1956 La Rocca et al. 156-556X 2,872,020 2/1959 Hansez et a1 198-35 3,112,236 11/1963 Hartman 156566X 3,416,987 12/1968 Keramas 156566X BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner I. M. HANLEY, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

